Conventional packaging boxes, for example corrugated boxes or cardboard boxes, are typically in the form of a rectangular prism, sometimes termed “brick shape”, having six rectangular or square faces, respectively two pairs of side walls and each of a top and bottom wall, defining an internal void for containing the packaged articles. While such rectangular forms may be efficient from the point of view of saving space, design possibilities are limited with conventional packaging boxes. Curved forms can be particularly attractive to customers, and can convey an impression of greater quality or luxury as compared with rectangular forms.
Although some packaging boxes having curved portions are known to exist in the art, many of these are difficult or expensive to fabricate and thus require more complex production methods and correspondingly lower efficiency in their production. Also, when such curved packaging boxes are constructed, a generally thicker material is needed to ensure both stacking strength and rigidity, but cracks and kinks easily appear when thicker material is forced into a curved shape. Curved packaging boxes of thinner material often are limited to specialist applications in which stacking strength is of relatively lesser importance.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved packaging box having curved corners and edges. There is also a need for improved blanks from which the box can be formed, together with improved methods and apparatus for assembling the tubes and blanks into the box.